I Can Not Do This Kitchen!

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CatPat

Washing Up
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Messages
2,126
Location
Asheville
I just can not do of this. I need some help. I did buy good cookware; that was easy for me. I have a large set of stainless steel Farberware, a Calphelon cookware set, some pieces of Tramontina cast iron cookware, a Lodge cast iron fryer with the lid, a nice stainless steel teapot, very many utensils (I put these in a very pretty and heavy blue plastic planter), glass mixing bowls, baking sheets, glass baking dishes, and some other things. I used the money that DA gave me for these.

But the plates and cups and flatware were bought with my money. The plates are melamine and I bought the service for four in the red and the blue, making the service of eight. I found the flatware and the cups at the Goodwill store. I am flustered at tableware! I have decided of the rustic look. The plates look much like one would find in Eastern Europe. DA likes these as I have described of them, but she is disappointed because they are not of stoneware.

I want to wait for Mamma to be here to help of this. DA agreed to this. I am well with cookware, but of tableware I am very lost. I also still will need a double boiler and appliances such as a blender, a countertop chicken/turkey roaster and a food processor. I have already a small crockpot, but I will buy a larger one for the larger meals of gatherings.

I will have the double boiler and the appliances before Mamma and Papa arrive, and their meal will be very nice of their first one. I shall make for them a nice London broil, a regular garden salad, very nice seasoned beans, and steamed broccoli with some melted sharp cheddar cheese over it.

Do I need anything else of the kitchen? Rrrrrrrrrrr...my mind does become blank of this! If you all have any suggestions of this, please tell me. I am in to up over my head of this!

With love,
~Cat
 
Oh Cat, please calm down! You have done exceptionally well, and have EVERYTHING you need to cook for your family!

When I was your age and in college, I would have "orphans" over for Thanksgiving, meaning friends and neighbors who had nowhere else to go, and no family. I had the crappiest assemblance of pans, dishes, and mismatched silverware you ever saw, (we had to share knives) but the wine and conversation flowed, and we all had a blast!

You will be fine! Now, breathe!
 
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Okay, Cat. Settle down a bit and reread your post. See what you have already accomplished? Now, kick back and be proud of yourself.

Don't worry about "things." Your meals will be great because they will be made with love.

Let things calm and wait for your mother to assist you with some of the planning, selecting and shopping. I would imagine she would get a great deal of joy helping her daughter establish her first household.
 
Oh Cat, please calm down! You have done exceptionally well, and have EVERYTHING you need to cook for your family!

When I was your age and in college, I would have "orphans" over for Thanksgiving, meaning friends and neighbors who had nowhere else to go, and no family. I had the crappiest assemblance of pans, dishes, and mismatched silverware you ever saw, (we had to share knives) but the wine and conversation flowed, and we all had a blast!

You will be fine! Now, breathe!

Thank you, Dawgluver. I become sometimes frustrated. I think with some of these exceptions, I have everything I need for to cook, but the problem is the table!

I bought those plates and glasses and flatware just because I like them. And I did not desire to spend DA's money on something to be changed later. Mamma and DA always have beautiful tables with the right dishes and the right things of it. It is here I do not know of where to begin. I was very surprised some of you liked what I had put to the table! I was expecting of good criticism of what was wrong of my choices, but this never came.

Dawgluver, I would be proud to share the knife with you, as long as I could sit at your table and to enjoy your company.

With love,
~Cat
 
Okay, Cat. Settle down a bit and reread your post. See what you have already accomplished? Now, kick back and be proud of yourself.

Don't worry about "things." Your meals will be great because they will be made with love.

Let things calm and wait for your mother to assist you with some of the planning, selecting and shopping. I would imagine she would get a great deal of joy helping her daughter establish her first household.

Excellent advice Cat. Nothing would give your mother more pleasure than to know her child still needs her. My oldest child is 57 and she still calls me for help. I may gripe about it, but never to her. It is something I still get to do. And my other three kids do the same. Even Poo who has two master degrees of science and is a PA. Nothing give a mother more pleasure than knowing her children will always need her. Let Mama help! :angel:
 
Okay, Cat. Settle down a bit and reread your post. See what you have already accomplished? Now, kick back and be proud of yourself.

Don't worry about "things." Your meals will be great because they will be made with love.

Let things calm and wait for your mother to assist you with some of the planning, selecting and shopping. I would imagine she would get a great deal of joy helping her daughter establish her first household.

Thank you, Katie. The cookware was very easy for me, but I believe you are right.

Your tables are so very beautiful, as you have shown us. I want the beautiful tables as yours, Mamma's, and DA's tables. It is the table which I have problems of.

I spoke of this to Mamma early in the day today, and she agreed to help me. She was very happy of this. But she did say this, "The table does not make the meal."

I think I am beginning to breathe as Dawgluver told me, and I did try to settle down. The cooking things are easy for me, Katie.

I was wishing for everything to be perfect when Mamma and Papa arrive. I did not want for them to see me as a needy, whining child. Mamma understood, and she will help me of the table. She does like my dishes and all of that!

I am a good musician and a good cook. Of decorating and putting together of a table, it is no wonder Mamma wants to sell me upriver to the gypsies.

With love,
~Cat
 
A very nice Fagor Double Boiler, this is the one I have and it's perfect!

Fagor 2-Quart Double Boiler with Steamer Insert | CHEFScatalog.com

What brands of appliances are you looking for? Do you want matching or good quality over all? I am partial to Cuisinart for small appliances. They are a mid-priced brand with good quality.

Thank you, Princess! I shall look of that. I do not need matching things. I just need things of this which will serve its purpose well for me. I see many of the Cuisinart appliances which are very nice.

I shall look to this! Do you have these matching appliances?

With love,
~Cat
 
Excellent advice Cat. Nothing would give your mother more pleasure than to know her child still needs her. My oldest child is 57 and she still calls me for help. I may gripe about it, but never to her. It is something I still get to do. And my other three kids do the same. Even Poo who has two master degrees of science and is a PA. Nothing give a mother more pleasure than knowing her children will always need her. Let Mama help! :angel:

Thank you Addie! Mamma does want to help. I just wanted for everything of this to be perfect but the table is my problem. I am very baffled of this.

I am happy to know of how you feel as a mother. I was afraid to be a whining and needy child to her. I always need my parents, however.

Perhaps Mamma may have fun helping me of this. I do hope so, for I am lost of the table and she knows so very much of this.

With love,
~Cat
 
Cat, just take a deep breath. Good. I think you have acquired all the items and more you must have in order to cook a good meal. I understand you thinking you need everything today, but you are young. Keep in mind your Mom and DA, plus many of us here at DC, are much older than you and have been collecting our cookware, small appliances, and dinnerware for years and years...and decades. By now (I'm 62 and married almost 39 years) I've gotten to the point of looking at all of the "stuff" I have and think I could make do with much less. "Things" do not make you a good cook, love does. Worry about the basics, use them for a while (a couple of years, not a couple of weeks ;) ) and then buy what you need because you need it and not because you think you'll need it. I bet you would turn out a lovely and enjoyable meal for your parents and DA if all you had was a large fry pan and a 6-quart dutch oven.
 
I agree with CG, relax!

Once you have the basics the special things will find you over time. If you buy everything at once you will have a very nice kitchen, but I don't think it will express you as much as finding things that you truly love and cherish, that takes a lifetime and not a great deal of money.
 
Hi, Cat. We have a saying (this may be international, for all I know): "Rome wasn't built in a day."

You don't have to have everything all at once. I got married when I was 21 and even with two wedding showers and wedding gifts, I didn't have as much as you do now. And almost 30 years later, I'm still collecting things. Several years ago, I decided to replace my cheap glass baking dishes with Le Creuset because it's so beautiful, but I sure didn't spend $1,000 to get it all at once. I buy one or two pieces a year at the outlet (discount) store.

Here's an idea: I have a friend who likes to decorate her table from The Dollar Store. Since everything is so inexpensive, she has acquired over time items that change with the seasons and holidays. Since you have such colorful dishes, you might want to use solid colors for candles and napkins, for example. And I agree, your mother will likely be happy to help you pick out some things when she arrives.

Take a few more deep breaths and enjoy the process.
 
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Btw, here's my double boiler: http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-Quart-Stainless-Mixing/dp/B0000VLPZ8/ I just set it over a saucepan. I don't use it much, so I don't need pans dedicated for just that. Try to avoid uni-taskers, or items that have only one use in the kitchen. They usually just take up space and aren't used much.

One more thought. Do you really need both a blender and a food processor? What for? For a lot of things, they are interchangeable.

After Christmas, lots of these items will go on sale and you will save money by waiting until then to buy them.
 
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Cat, you are just starting out. No one expects you to have all of the things you would find in a long established household. In fact it is very charming to see what a young cook can do with just the basics. As you already know the Goodwill store can be a great source for tableware. I have found some really high end stuff over the years...but it does take years. So give yourself a break. You will do just fine.
 
Thank you, Princess! I shall look of that. I do not need matching things. I just need things of this which will serve its purpose well for me. I see many of the Cuisinart appliances which are very nice.

I shall look to this! Do you have these matching appliances?

With love,
~Cat

No, I do not! I have tools that are quality, I don't mind spending more to get better quality, but like others have mentioned. Many of these appliances I never had until recently and I love kitchen toys (appliances that serve one purpose).
 
Thank you, Princess! I shall look of that. I do not need matching things. I just need things of this which will serve its purpose well for me. I see many of the Cuisinart appliances which are very nice.

I shall look to this! Do you have these matching appliances?

With love,
~Cat

Hee hee! We renovated our kitchen several years ago and even though we bought our major appliances all at one time for that, they are all from different manufacturers - Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, Maytag refrigerator, GE Profile microwave and Jenn-Air stove. Take your time and learn what you like and want before rushing out to spend a lot of money.
 
Btw, here's my double boiler: Amazon.com: Fox Run 1.25 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl: Kitchen & Dining I just set it over a saucepan. I don't use it much, so I don't need pans dedicated for just that. Try to avoid uni-taskers, or items that have only one use in the kitchen. They usually just take up space and aren't used much.......
Completely agree GG. I too pull out a stainless steel bowl if I ever need a double boiler even though I actually got the insert with a set of pots and pans. As those pans wear out I replace what I use most and what will multi-task. I've been getting rid of more things than I ever should have bought in the first place.
 
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